U.S. patent application number 15/291793 was filed with the patent office on 2018-04-12 for method and apparatus for additively manufacturing multi-material parts.
This patent application is currently assigned to Baker Hughes Incorporated. The applicant listed for this patent is Madison Suzann Burns, Volker Peters, Christoph Wangenheim. Invention is credited to Madison Suzann Burns, Volker Peters, Christoph Wangenheim.
Application Number | 20180099334 15/291793 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61830287 |
Filed Date | 2018-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180099334 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Peters; Volker ; et
al. |
April 12, 2018 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING MULTI-MATERIAL
PARTS
Abstract
A method to additively manufacture multi-material parts
including directly depositing a part material through a print head
having a number of degrees of freedom to a growing part, directly
depositing a binder through the print head or a different print
head having a number of degrees of freedom to the growing part
simultaneously with or temporally shifted from the depositing of
the part material. A method to additively manufacture
multi-material parts including directly depositing to a growing
part, a part material that is itself coated with a binder, through
a print head having a number of degrees of freedom.
Inventors: |
Peters; Volker; (Wienhausen,
DE) ; Wangenheim; Christoph; (Hemmingen, DE) ;
Burns; Madison Suzann; (Celle, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Peters; Volker
Wangenheim; Christoph
Burns; Madison Suzann |
Wienhausen
Hemmingen
Celle |
|
DE
DE
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Baker Hughes Incorporated
Houston
TX
|
Family ID: |
61830287 |
Appl. No.: |
15/291793 |
Filed: |
October 12, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B33Y 10/00 20141201;
B29C 64/153 20170801; B22F 3/15 20130101; B28B 1/001 20130101; B22F
3/1055 20130101; B22F 3/008 20130101; B22F 2999/00 20130101; Y02P
10/295 20151101; B22F 3/24 20130101; B22F 2998/10 20130101; Y02P
10/25 20151101; B22F 3/1021 20130101; B22F 2999/00 20130101; B22F
3/24 20130101; B22F 3/02 20130101; B22F 2998/10 20130101; B22F
3/008 20130101; B22F 2003/1032 20130101; B22F 3/1021 20130101; B22F
3/24 20130101; B22F 2999/00 20130101; B22F 3/1021 20130101; B22F
3/1035 20130101; B22F 2998/10 20130101; B22F 3/008 20130101; B22F
3/1035 20130101; B22F 3/1021 20130101; B22F 3/15 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B22F 3/105 20060101
B22F003/105; B33Y 10/00 20060101 B33Y010/00; B29C 67/00 20060101
B29C067/00; B22F 3/10 20060101 B22F003/10; B22F 3/15 20060101
B22F003/15; B22F 3/24 20060101 B22F003/24; B28B 1/00 20060101
B28B001/00 |
Claims
1. A method to additively manufacture multi-material parts
comprising: directly depositing a part material through a print
head having a number of degrees of freedom to a growing part;
directly depositing a binder through the print head or a different
print head having a number of degrees of freedom to the growing
part simultaneously with or temporally shifted from the depositing
of the part material.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising mixing the
part material and the binder in the print head prior to depositing
to the growing part.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the part material and
the binder are alternatingly deposited through the print head.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the part material is
deposited through the print head having one or more part materials
deposited therethrough.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the binder is deposited
through the print head having one or more binders deposited
therethrough.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the depositing is by
layer.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the depositing is by
part layer.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further
comprises depositing more than one part material in a single layer
of the growing part.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sintering the part.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein one or more of the part material
and the binder are selected to have sintering temperatures allowing
the materials to transform into a liquid phase sintering state
during the sintering.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein one or more of the part material
and the binder is of higher sintering temperature than the other of
the one or more of the part material and the binder.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the binder is removed during the
sintering.
13. The method of claim 9 further comprising hot isostatically
pressing (HIP) after sintering.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the part material
and the binder is an electrical isolator and one or more of the
part material and the binder is electrically conductive.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the part material is one of a
metal powder and a ceramic powder.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the binder is activated by
light.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the binder is activated by
environmental change.
18. The method of claim 14 wherein the electrically conductive and
electrically isolating materials are grown in the part to form
electrical feedthrough connections intrinsically embedded in the
structure of the part.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the feedthrough connection
reaches from a first side to a second side and is configured to
support differential pressure acting on the first side and second
side.
20. A method to additively manufacture multi-material parts
comprising: directly depositing to a growing part, a part material
that is itself coated with a binder, through a print head having a
number of degrees of freedom.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Additive manufacturing is a growing industry, having great
potential and reduced material cost. Various processes have been
developed to produce parts of certain materials. These tend to be
single material parts such that fusion of the utilized powdered
particles can occur during deposition of the same. In some cases
however, it is desired to use different materials in a produced
part. Where the materials cannot be handled in the same way by
fusing powder particles upon deposition, alternatives were needed.
One method of producing a multi material part employs a powder bed
process where a powder bed of a material is applied to a build
plate and then a binder is used, as a laser for example would have
been in a single metal process, to hold the desired particles
together. Then the balance of the particles are removed from the
build plate and another material is layered onto the build plate
followed by additional binder in the sections where that material
is desired to be maintained. The unbound second material is then
cleared away from the build plate and so on until the part is
completed in a green form. The part may then be sintered to be
finished. While the process does achieve parts with multiple
materials, it is cumbersome, time consuming, potentially wasteful
and potentially prone to contamination of some sections of material
with another of the materials particularly at margins of the bound
materials. The art then continues to seek alternative processes and
apparatus for additively manufacturing multi-material parts.
SUMMARY
[0002] A method to additively manufacture multi-material parts
including directly depositing a part material through a print head
having a number of degrees of freedom to a growing part, directly
depositing a binder through the print head or a different print
head having a number of degrees of freedom to the growing part
simultaneously with or temporally shifted from the depositing of
the part material.
[0003] A method to additively manufacture multi-material parts
including directly depositing to a growing part, a part material
that is itself coated with a binder, through a print head having a
number of degrees of freedom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The following descriptions should not be considered limiting
in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like
elements are numbered alike:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a configuration for additively
manufacturing multi-material parts;
[0006] FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1; and
[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an alternate configuration for
additively manufacturing multi-material parts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A, a first embodiment of a
configuration 10 to additively manufacture multi-material parts is
illustrated. The illustration is schematic and intended to convey
that parts may be additively manufactured by jetting (applying)
both binder and material to a part in progress while the part is
free standing. There is no need to apply heat to the part while it
is being grown (e.g. a laser) but rather the material of the part
or the multiple materials of the part are bound together
temporarily using a binder and then the entire part may be sintered
to produce a final product.
[0009] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, two print heads 12 are
illustrated. Clearly more or one can be substituted. Each print
head 12 is configured to accept at least two feed streams of
material. One will be a binder 14 that may be selected from
inorganic or organic gels, liquids and powders such as but not
limited to silicates, starches, paraffins, lignosulfonates, furan
resins, phenolic resins or aqueous based binders (including those
that may penetrate into a part material and create a binded voxel
within the powdered material), while the other will be a part
material 16 such as ceramics, plastics, metals or organic
materials, for example. It is also to be noted that powdered
materials that are coated (at the particulate level) with a binder
are also contemplated for use. Such materials include Metallic
materials; metallic composites; metal matrix composites (continuous
fiber) including continuous-fiber reinforced boron/aluminum,
graphite/aluminum, graphite/magnesium; Metal matrix composites
(discontinuous fiber)--silicon-carbide particulate reinforced
aluminum, carbon nanotube reinforced composites (e.g. carbon
nanotubes in an alumina matrix); amorphous metals; ceramic
materials including aluminum oxides, silicates, zirconium oxides,
silicon carbides, silicon nitrides, aluminum nitrides; organic
materials; and inorganic materials including but not limited to
titanium alloys, iron alloys, nickel-based alloys, ferrous metals,
cobalt-based alloys, aluminum alloys magnesium alloys, rare earth
alloys, copper alloys, and tungsten carbide. In some embodiments
the materials used are selected for their ability to create binding
properties based upon a change in environment such as light level,
wavelength or intensity, temperature, atmosphere (gas, liquid,
plasma), etc. Materials exhibiting such properties include
Inorganic or organic gels, liquids and powders such as but not
limited to silicates, starches, paraffins, lignosulfonates, furan
resins, phenolic resins or aqueous based binders (including those
that may penetrate into a part material and create a binded voxel
within the powdered material).
[0010] Print head 12 is bifurcated by divider 18 to keep materials
14 and 16 separate until ejected from the print head 12. The
materials, binder 14 and part material 16 are mixed at the outlet
20 of the print head 12 and then applied to the part 22 being
grown. Due to action of the binder, the applied material is
maintained in a position that is dictated by the design program for
the part. Binder 14 is conveyed to the print head from a reservoir
24 through conduit 26, which may be a longer conduit extending from
a remote location to a very short conduit where the reservoir is
essentially within or on the print head 12. The same is true for a
part material reservoir 28 such as a feedstock tank, from which a
volume of part material 16 is conveyed to the print head 12 through
a conduit 30. The print head and the supply of material 14 or 16 is
controlled via a computer control system in ways that are known to
the art and need not be explained here.
[0011] It will be appreciated that while the other print head 12
has not been separately numbered, the components are the same as
those discussed above. It is contemplated however that the same or
different materials could be applied with the other print head
12.
[0012] While two materials 14 and 16 have been described as being
applied through print head 12 above it is to be understood that the
inventors hereof contemplate using more than two materials in a
print head. There is nothing inherently limited about the two
material head. It can easily be divided to accommodate and apply
more than two materials. The additional material may be another
binder or another part material or both to facilitate growing more
complex parts quickly and efficiently.
[0013] It is also to be understood that the grown part is not
limited to layers of material that cover a plane through the part
but rather the various materials applicable through the print head
may be placed in only a discreet part of the layer with other
materials making up other portions of the layer. This provides
great flexibility to additive manufacture and increases both
complexity of parts possible and speed of production.
[0014] It is further to be noted that though two print heads are
illustrated, there is no limit to the number of heads used other
than practicality in the space available.
[0015] After the part is configured (grown), it, in some
embodiments, is sintered to create its final condition. In some
instances, the sintering temperature of the various materials
utilized will be similar, i.e. within a few degrees of each other
such as aluminum oxide and steel which are both in the range of
1100 degrees C., while in others it is possible to employ materials
having substantially disparate sintering temperatures (such as
aluminum oxide and bronze, for example) provided the higher
sintering temperature is below a point at which other of the
materials in the part would thermally decompose as that would be
counterproductive unless for the particular process, there would be
an advantage to thermally decomposing one or more of the materials
of the part. In some cases it is beneficial to remove the binder
during the sintering process and hence thermal decomposition
thereof in such an embodiment would not be prohibited but rather
sought.
[0016] Some embodiments will use a transformation into a liquid
phase during the sintering process. This may be for one or more of
the materials used to grow a particular part. More particularly, it
is contemplated that in a multi-material part, one, more than one,
or all of the materials used may be transformed to liquid phase
during a sintering operation. During the liquid phase of any such
material, it is further contemplated that for some embodiments the
liquid material will infiltrate other materials used rather than
merely bond with them. Such infiltration can be employed to change
structural characteristics of the grown part such as for example by
infiltrating a bronze material through the grown part to manage
shrinkage of the part.
[0017] Additionally to the foregoing, some embodiments hereof may
also add a hot isostatic pressing operation to the production of
the part. In some embodiments the pressing is carried out after the
sintering operation.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment is illustrated
where printing heads do not apply multiple materials through a
single head but rather there are multiple printing heads all
dedicated to a material. The printing heads may each have a
different material or they may all have the same material and any
combinations between these extremes is contemplated.
[0019] As illustrated a configuration to additively manufacture
multi-material parts 50 is illustrated. Included are four print
heads 52 each having a single material associated therewith. As
noted it is contemplated that more than one head 52 might have the
same material in embodiments. Each head 52 is connected via a
conduit, 54, 56, 58, 60 to a respective reservoir of material, be
it a binder or a part material, 62, 64, 66, and 68. Computer
control allows the deposition of part material or binder at
selected locations of the free standing part while growing the same
such that a green completed part is ready for sintering at the
conclusion of the growing process.
[0020] In either embodiment, it is to be recognized that multiple
binders and multiple part materials are contemplated and may be
deposited to create many different types and material parts
including parts made of a material and insulated by another
material within yet another material. For example, it is
contemplated that a part may be grown that includes a housing, an
insulator (electrical isolator) within the housing and a conductor
(electrical conductor) within the insulation (e.g. an electrical
feedthrough). Further, it is contemplated that the configuration is
configured to hold a pressure differential from one end to the
other end of the feedthrough. This is because the insulator and
conductor are intrinsically embedded in the part rather than placed
there after the fact, which would introduce a leak path. In the
grown part, there is no leak path and hence the ability to hold a
pressure differential across the feedthrough.
[0021] Part materials contemplated are: cobalt, nickel, copper,
chromium, aluminum, iron, steel, stainless steel, titanium,
tungsten, or alloys and mixtures thereof, magnetically responsive
materials, polyetheretherketone (PEEK.TM.), carbon-based materials
(e.g., graphite, graphene, diamond, etc.), and/or glass. Specific,
nonlimiting examples, of materials that may be included in the
precursor material source 112 may include PA12-MD(A1), PA12-CF,
PA11, 18 Mar 300/1.2709, 15-5/1.4540, 1.4404 (316L), Alloy 718,
Alloy 625, CoCrMo, UNS R31538, Ti6AI4V and AlSi10Mg, Alloy 945x,
17-4/1.4542, Alloy 925, CrMnMoN-steel, CoCr Alloys (STELLITE.RTM.),
CoNi Alloy, MP35 or equivalent, 4140, 4145, WC--Ni, WC--Co, and/or
W. As another example, material in the precursor material source
112 may include fine particles of metal or metal alloy material
intermixed with fine particles of ceramic material, the material
being configured to form a metallic-ceramic composite material
(e.g., a cermet), in which ceramic particles are embedded within a
metal or metal alloy matrix, upon melting and coalescence of the
particles of metal and/or metal alloy material.
[0022] Binder materials contemplated include but are not limited
to: aqueous-based binders, silicates, starches, paraffins,
bentonite, lignosulfonates, polyacrylates, furan resins or phenolic
resins.
[0023] Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing
disclosure:
Embodiment 1
[0024] A method to additively manufacture multi-material parts
including directly depositing a part material through a print head
having a number of degrees of freedom to a growing part, directly
depositing a binder through the print head or a different print
head having a number of degrees of freedom to the growing part
simultaneously with or temporally shifted from the depositing of
the part material.
Embodiment 2
[0025] The method as in any prior embodiment further comprising
mixing the part material and the binder in the print head prior to
depositing to the growing part.
Embodiment 3
[0026] The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the part
material and the binder are alternatingly deposited through the
print head.
Embodiment 4
[0027] The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the part
material is deposited through the print head having one or more
part materials deposited therethrough.
Embodiment 5
[0028] The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the binder is
deposited through the print head having one or more binders
deposited therethrough.
Embodiment 6
[0029] The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the depositing
is by layer.
Embodiment 7
[0030] The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the depositing
is by part layer.
Embodiment 8
[0031] The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the method
further comprises depositing more than one part material in a
single layer of the growing part.
Embodiment 9
[0032] The method of any prior embodiment further comprising
sintering the part.
Embodiment 10
[0033] The method of any prior embodiment wherein one or more of
the part material and the binder are selected to have sintering
temperatures allowing the materials to transform into a liquid
phase sintering state during the sintering.
Embodiment 11
[0034] The method of any prior embodiment wherein one or more of
the part material and the binder is of higher sintering temperature
than the other of the one or more of the part material and the
binder.
Embodiment 12
[0035] The method of any prior embodiment wherein the binder is
removed during the sintering.
Embodiment 13
[0036] The method of any prior embodiment further comprising hot
isostatically pressing (HIP) after sintering.
Embodiment 14
[0037] The method of any prior embodiment wherein one or more of
the part material and the binder is an electrical isolator and one
or more of the part material and the binder is electrically
conductive.
Embodiment 15
[0038] The method of any prior embodiment wherein the part material
is one of a metal powder and a ceramic powder.
Embodiment 16
[0039] The method of any prior embodiment wherein the binder is
activated by light.
Embodiment 17
[0040] The method of any prior embodiment wherein the binder is
activated by environmental change.
Embodiment 18
[0041] The method of any prior embodiment wherein the electrically
conductive and electrically isolating materials are grown in the
part to form electrical feedthrough connections intrinsically
embedded in the structure of the part.
Embodiment 19
[0042] The method of any prior embodiment wherein the feedthrough
connection reaches from a first side to a second side and is
configured to support differential pressure acting on the first
side and second side.
Embodiment 20
[0043] A method to additively manufacture multi-material parts
including directly depositing to a growing part, a part material
that is itself coated with a binder, through a print head having a
number of degrees of freedom.
[0044] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar
referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in
the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover
both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein
or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should further be
noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like herein do not
denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to
distinguish one element from another. The modifier "about" used in
connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has
the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree
of error associated with measurement of the particular
quantity).
[0045] The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a
variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one
or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident
in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such
as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of
liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof.
Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to,
fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion
agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers,
demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well
operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing,
stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam
injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
[0046] While the invention has been described with reference to
exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in
the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be
substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope
of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to
adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.
Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the
particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for
carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include
all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in
the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed
exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms
may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a
generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of
limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so
limited.
* * * * *